What's Next?
by Nikita1506
Summary: Finn finds out that Quinn lied to him about the baby...what will he do?
1. Unlikely Friendship

She didn't see him in class; which in itself wasn't really a surprise as he skipped class often, but when she didn't see him in lunch either; she began to worry. Rachel Barry slipped out of the cafeteria, thinking no one was watching, and began looking for him. She heard the faint strumming of a guitar coming from the auditorium and quietly made her way inside.

"Noah?" she called softly, worry clear in her voice.

Hearing her voice, Noah Puckerman stopped playing and looked up to see her walking down the aisle.

"Hey Rach," he said in a monotone.

"Is everything okay?" she asked, climbing onto the stage.

Puck just started playing again. Rachel's worry shifted into high gear. Puck only played his guitar when he was trying to charm the ladies or when he was really upset about something.

"Noah?" she asked, putting a hand on his shoulder.

He stopped playing again, "I messed up Rach. Big."

"Is this about Quinn?"

Puck stared up at her, "How did you—?"

"I heard Quinn telling Santana that she was pregnant in the locker room, but she didn't say it was Finn's. I took a guess. You've been a lot more hostile to her lately."

"Have you said anything to anyone?" Puck asked after a moment of silence.

Rachel shook her head, "It's not my place to say anything. Besides, I love Finn; I don't want to see him get hurt like this."

"It was a mistake Rach," Puck told her with a shake of his head; "We got drunk and had sex. It was a stupid mistake. I—I don't know what to do."

Rachel sighed and walked behind Puck, wrapping her arms around him and resting her head on his shoulder as she hugged him.

"Noah, we've been friends since we were in diapers. We were each other's first kiss for crying out loud. Granted, things changed once we hit puberty, but you've got to know that I'm always here if you need to talk to someone. You're never alone Noah, I promise."

"I don't know what to tell Finn," he whispered, "He's my best friend and I betrayed him. I don't know what I'm going to do if he ends up hating me because of this."

"It's going to be alright Noah," Rachel whispered, hugging him tightly.

Neither one of them saw Finn standing in the balcony. Neither knew that he'd been there the whole time and had heard every word they said.


	2. The Truth

Finn Hudson didn't know what to think. His best friend? And his _girlfriend_?! He stood silently, watching Rachel; his Rachel, with her arms around his supposed best friend.

"You have to tell him Noah," he heard her say softly.

"I know I do. And I will. He deserves to know the truth," Puck's voice was defeated, "If I could go back, I would change it Rach; I would. I can't believe I did this to my best friend."

"What's done is done Noah. Now you need to make it right with Finn."

Finn watched as Rachel just kept her arms around Puck's shoulders.

"Hey Rach?" he finally heard Puck speak.

"Yea?"

"Thanks."

Rachel smiled and gently butted her forehead against the side of Puck's face.

"I told you Noah," she said, "Friends since diapers. Just because you've been a jerk the last couple of years, doesn't mean that I hate you. I just never liked the choices you made."

"Even football?" he asked her with a smirk.

Rachel frowned, pulled away and turned Puck's face to hers; "Aren't I at every game? Haven't I always been at every game Noah Michael Puckerman?"

He was shocked, "I thought you were there for Finn."

Her smile came back, "I am, but that doesn't mean I'm not there for you too you big dork."

Puck sighed as Rachel dropped her chin back onto his shoulder, with him sitting; they were at the perfect height for each other.

"What do I say to him?" he asked on a sigh.

"I don't know," Rachel told him sadly, "I'm sorry for the both of you."

"I don't understand," Puck said, confused.

"I don't know how things happened between you and Quinn, but because of it; Finn's going to be pissed off at you and her, and he's going to be heartbroken. And you might lose your best friend."

Finn stood silently, still listening; but he wasn't sure what he would do. Quinn had told him the baby was his, even though they'd never…everything clicked then. He knew that the baby wasn't his. But Quinn was content with letting him think it was. He began to get mad, almost missing what Rachel was saying.

"—you're lucky; he'll forgive you because you wanted him to know the truth. Granted, he might take a couple shots at you first. Let him. Maybe he'll realize that you want to be truthful and ask him to forgive you."

Finn watched as Puck nodded. He was confused at Rachel and Puck's behavior towards each other; he'd thought they hated each other. But he had other things on his mind right now.

"I just hope he does."

Hidden in the dark of the balcony, Finn watched as Rachel kissed Puck's temple; much like a sibling or parent would, and leave the auditorium. His eyes moved back to Puck, who stayed sitting on the stool on the stage, guitar lifeless in his hands.

"I'm sorry," he heard Puck say to the seemingly empty auditorium.


	3. Locker Room Talk

Puck was nervous. Football practice had just finished, and he'd told Finn that he needed to talk to him.

"Puck?" he heard Finn ask, "What's up man?"

"I need to tell you something. I'm not going to ask you for anything, I just need you to listen before you talk."

Finn nodded, sitting on one of the locker room benches and crossing his arms. Puck watched him nervously for a minute, and took a deep breath.

"Look man, I made a huge mistake, and I need to tell you what it is."

Finn just looked at him. Puck scrubbed a hand over his head and blew out a breath before sitting on the bench across from Finn.

"I don't know—"

"Dude, just spit it out."

"I slept with Quinn."

"What?" Finn asked.

"Five weeks ago, you were gone for the weekend?" Finn nodded, "Me and Quinn, we were at a party, got drunk and ended up having sex. It was a huge mistake and it only happened the one time but I thought you should know since—"

"Since Quinn told me she was pregnant. Why are you telling me this?"

"Cause you're my best friend Finn, and I know I fucked up. And I thought you needed to know the truth. That Quinn's baby might be mine. I'm not gonna ask you to forgive me, and if you wanna take a shot at me I won't try and stop you. But I needed to tell you."

Finn just stared at him, making him even more nervous. Minutes passed, neither teen speaking or moving; save for Puck's knee bouncing nervously.

"I'm not going to take a swing at you," Finn finally responded.

Puck stared at him, confused.

"Since we're being honest here. I heard you and Rachel talking in the auditorium during lunch today."

Puck looked down, he couldn't believe it, and he didn't have the courage to look into his friend's eyes anymore.

"I don't know how I feel about this. Any of this. Gimme a couple days man."

Puck nodded his head and Finn stood, walking out of the locker room. He was surprised to see Rachel pacing the hallway. When she heard the door open, she stopped and looked at him, eyes wide.

"Finn!" she squeaked.

"Hey Rachel," Finn replied, shoving his hands in his pockets.

"I—I thought you'd have gone home by now."

"I was talking to Puck," Finn replied, nodding his head back towards the locker room door.

"Oh, okay," Rachel replied.

"What are you doing here?" Finn asked her, though he already knew.

She'd wanted to make sure that he hadn't killed Puck. He didn't know whether that made him upset or hysterical. Rachel just watched him for a minute, surprised at the myriad of emotions running over his features. Slowly, she stepped forward and raised her hand to his face, cupping his cheek and looking into his eyes.

"Are you alright?" she asked, concerned.

He let himself feel her warmth for a minute, then pulled away.

"Not really. But I think I will be. I just need to talk to Quinn."

Rachel's heart broke, but she didn't let it show; and she slid her hand from Finn's face.

"I should get going too," she said softly, "Bye Finn."

"See you at Glee tomorrow," he said over his shoulder as he walked away.

"No," Rachel whispered, "You won't."


	4. The Swing

Rachel watched Finn walk away from her, tears rolling down her cheeks silently. She felt a pair of arms around her and leaned back into the embrace, sighing unhappily.

"Well at least I didn't have to come in there and make sure you were still conscious," she said, half serious.

Puck chuckled weakly and kissed her hair, "Come on Rach, I'll bring you home."

Rachel nodded and Puck unwound his arms from her waist, keeping one on her shoulders to keep her steady.

"So you're giving up?" he asked her as they walked out to his truck.

Rachel shrugged, hugging her arms around her.

"Looks like it," she said softly.

They reached his truck and Puck moved his arm from around her shoulders, opening the door for her. He waited until she was securely inside before shutting the door and rounding the hood to climb in. Starting the truck, Puck flashed Rachel a small smile; relieved when she returned it, and they were on their way. However, instead of driving to Rachel's house, Puck turned off down a small dirt road.

"Noah? Where are we going?"

"The swing," he replied simply.

Rachel stared at him for a minute, surprised; "I didn't think you remembered where it was," she whispered.

Puck shrugged, "I still come out here when I need to be alone," he told her.

He parked, turning off the truck and they both climbed out, walking over to the old wooden swing that hung from the lower branches of an oak tree that stood by itself. Rachel sat down on the swing, holding the ropes; and let out a sigh as Puck pushed her gently.

"What's buggin' you Goldie?" he asked, giving her another push.

Rachel smiled at the old nickname as the wind blew her hair around her face.

"Nothin'," she replied, "Everything Taz."

From the time they first met at Toddler Gymboree, they'd had nicknames for each other. Puck knew that Rachel's dads called her 'Star' so he called her 'Goldie' which became a private joke in school when she began putting gold stars next to her name on all her papers. And Puck's mom had called him her little whirlwind; which reminded Rachel of the Loony Toons and the Tasmanian Devil; so she called Puck 'Taz'.

"Finn?" he asked, giving her another push.

Rachel nodded, "You think I'm an idiot don't you?"

Puck grabbed the ropes, jerking the swing to a stop and Rachel gasped. He spun her once and had her facing him.

"You're not an idiot," he said furiously.

Rachel dropped her eyes, looking at the ground; but Puck wasn't having that, not at all. He grasped Rachel's chin in his hand and tugged her head up, eyes burning into hers.

"You. Are. Not. An. Idiot," he said again, punctuating each word, "You are smart, and talented. Beautiful. And you're not afraid to speak your mind, no matter what anyone says. If Finn can't see you for that, then he's not worth it Goldie."

Her eyes burn with tears and she can't stop them from falling. Puck is the only person she's ever cried in front of besides her dads and her surrogate mom, Sarah.

"What's wrong with me Noah?" she whispers brokenly.

All of a sudden, she's off the swing and sitting on his lap, him hugging her tightly as he sits on the swing. Puck doesn't say anything, just lets her cry and rubs her back, occasionally squeezing her just a little bit tighter.

Rachel finally stops crying, much to Puck's delight; and they sit on the swing, one of his legs pushing them back and forth gently as he holds her in his arms. It's always easy with them, this silence; because they feel connected to each other, like family; or maybe closer than family.

It's never been attraction between the two of them, though at one point in her younger days, Rachel did think that she and Puck would get married. But that was long ago, and they both knew, deep down; that they weren't meant for each other.

When his cell phone rings, they both jump in surprise. He reaches into his letterman jacket and pulls it out, making a face at the caller i.d.

"Who is it?" Rachel asks.

"Mom. We must be really late."


	5. In My Room

Rachel waved as Puck's truck backed out of her driveway and began driving away. She didn't realize her Papa was standing at the open front door.

"Rachel?" he questioned, "Who was that boy who dropped you off?"

Rachel gasped quietly and spun around.

"Papa! You surprised me," she said, walking up to the door, "That was Noah. You remember him? Noah Puckerman?"

Her papa raised his eyebrows, "That's Noah? My, I haven't seen you two together since…"

Rachel frowned as her papa trailed off and walked into the house.

"I know Papa. But, things are changing I guess. He needed a friend today, and I reminded him that I was there."

"Is everything alright?"

Rachel shrugged, "I don't know yet. But I hope it will be."

She quickly kissed his cheek and called out a hello to her Dad before making her way upstairs to her room and turning on her computer. While she waited for it to boot up, she put her things away and changed into a pair of lounge pants and a tank top; pulling her hair into a bun so it was out of her way. Rachel sighed as she started going over her homework, it was times like these when she was glad she had pretty much no social life; when she could just relax a little bit.

When her computer screen flashed to life, Rachel clicked on the WMHS chat link and looked through who was online. Kurt sent her a message as soon as he saw her enter the room.

**Kurt: Where were you today? You completely missed Glee!**

_Rachel: Sorry, I was helping someone with a problem._

**Kurt: Finn? Cause he wasn't there either.**

_Rachel: Actually, it wasn't Finn. And what do you mean he wasn't there either?_

Rachel frowned as Kurt typed out his response.

**Kurt: He told Mr. Shue that something had come up and that he needed like, the next three days away from everything. He said he wasn't even going to football practice. Do you know what happened? Did he finally break up with the uber-bitch?**

_Rachel: That's so unlike him…I hope everything's alright. And no, I don't know what happened, but I doubt he broke up with Quinn. Unless she cheated on him or something._

**Kurt: Ooh!! Maybe she DID cheat on him!**

_Rachel: You're fishing Kurt. Stop it. Let him alone. Anyway, I have to go, this homework won't do itself you know._

**Kurt: (sigh) But wouldn't it be wonderful if it did? See you tomorrow Rachel!**

_Rachel: Bye Kurt._

Rachel felt bad about lying to Kurt, but she knew that it wasn't her place to say anything. Besides, then he would want to know how she found out and then her friendship with Noah would be thrust into the spotlight. Nope, better that Kurt and the rest of Glee was left in the dark for now.

Speaking of Glee…with a heavy heart, Rachel pushed aside her math book and pulled out a fresh sheet of paper. Sighing deeply, she wrote Mr. Shue a note explaining why she was leaving Glee. At the sound of a bell, Rachel looked up at her computer again and shook her head.

**NoahP: You can't leave New Directions Rachel. Don't give up on him.**

Rachel sighed unhappily.

_Rachel: It's done Noah. I'm tired of Quinn always making me feel like something on the bottom of her shoe. I can't deal with her pettiness anymore. It takes too much of my energy._

**NoahP: Please Rach, don't leave.**

_Rachel: My mind is made up. I'm tired Noah. Tired of everything._

**NoahP: I noticed. You haven't put up a new MySpace video since this whole thing with Quinn joining Glee started up.**

_Rachel: (surprised) You watch my videos?_

**NoahP: Well yea. Friends since diapers remember?**

_Rachel: (laughing)_

**NoahP: Will you at least think about it some more before you up and quit?**

Rachel sighed, what was one more lie?

_Rachel: Sure. Now I know you have homework to do Noah. Go do it!_

**NoahP: (laughing) Yes ma'am!**

Rachel logged off the site and shook her head before turning her attention back to her good-bye note to Mr. Shue and the rest of New Directions.


	6. Rainy Day Blues

When Rachel woke up the next day, the weather outside reflected her mood; it was raining and cold and it didn't look like it was letting up any time soon. She slowly got ready, knowing that today was _the_ day. While she was brushing her hair, there was a knock on the door.

"Come in!" she called.

Rachel nearly dropped her brush when the door swung open and Noah stood in the doorway. She turned to face him.

"What are you doing here?" she asked him, a small smile on her face.

"I know you usually walk to school, so I thought I'd give you a ride today. It's pouring out there."

She smiled softly, "Its okay. I can just get a ride with my dads."

But Puck shook his head, "No, I'll drive you."

"But what about—?"

"I don't care," Puck interrupted with a shrug, "Everything is changing anyway. Might as well make some changes for the better."

Rachel smiled and shook her head, standing and walking over to Puck, kissing his cheek.

"You just want to make Finn jealous," she said laughingly.

Puck smirked, "Naw, I just want to make him _think_."

Rachel's mouth dropped open in shock and she smacked Puck's arm, making him laugh.

"Come on Barry, let's go."

Nodding happily, Rachel grabbed her jacket and backpack; which Puck took from her and they walked downstairs so she could say goodbye to her dads.


	7. Changes

The school parking lot was empty of students, which made it all the easier for Puck and Rachel to walk up to the building. Puck grabbed her hand as they reached the doors, surprising her. Rachel looked up at him for a second and saw the emotion clouding his face. Gently, she squeezed his hand; making him look down at her.

"Ready?" she asked.

Puck took a deep breath and nodded his head before opening the door for her, not letting go of her hand. The hallway seemed to quiet down when they walked in together holding hands. But, heads held high, they ignored the stares and whispers that began like wildfire as they walked down to Rachel's locker; which happened to be just a little ways away from both Finn and Quinn's lockers. Quinn stared at the unlikely couple with a glint of triumph in her eyes, making Puck uncomfortable.

Rachel saw this and glared at Quinn who, for some reason, quickly looked away from the brunette. She then saw Finn watching them, his entire body seemingly sad, and smiled gently at him as she let go of Puck's hand to open her locker.

"At least he's not trying to kill you," she whispered.

Puck laughed, "Yea, that's the silver lining to me ruining his life."

Rachel glared at her friend as she pulled her locker open and began to empty her books from her bag and take what she needed for class.

"Noah, cut it out. You didn't ruin his life," she hissed, "If you had let Finn go on believing that Quinn's baby was his; _that_ would've ruined his life."

Puck shook his head and leaned against the locker next to Rachel's.

"How do you do it?" he asked her softly, ignoring the glare Santana sent his way.

"Do what?" Rachel asked, her head in her locker.

"Deal with jackasses like me day after day and still have a positive outlook on life."

Rachel froze. Pulling her head out of her locker, she turned to Puck and her heart melted. He reminded her of a lost little boy. She raised her hand to his cheek, smiling gently.

"Because I have friends like you," she said softly.

Puck smiled, opening his mouth to reply when someone called his name.

"Yo! Puckerman!"

Closing his eyes, Puck let out a groan and closed his eyes; feeling Rachel's hand drop away from his face. He turned his head to see members of the football team staring him down.

"What?" he snapped, "I'm busy."

"Yea, we see that Puckerman. What the fuck man?!"

As soon as she'd noticed the football players coming their way, a plan had formed in Rachel's mind and before Puck could open his mouth to reply, she did it for him. She was glad she'd dressed so cute today; her skirt rode high on her thighs and her top was just low cut enough to garner the attention of the players.

"Noah, don't forget tonight okay?"

Puck stared at her like she had two heads and every player's eyes turned to her, looking her up and down. Rachel pouted prettily.

"I know you want to hang out with your boys tonight, but you promised me," she leaned up a bit, "I'll make it worth your while."

Her eyes sparkled with mischief as she kissed him softly before shutting her locker.

"See you in class," she said as she turned away.

Every head turned to follow her departure and she put a little extra swing in her hips as she walked down the hall, a small smile on her face. When she was out of sight, the football player turned back to Puck.

"Never. Mind," he said grinning.

Puck grinned back, accepting high fives from his teammates and mentally trying to figure out a way to thank Rachel for her stellar performance.


	8. Standing Up for Herself

Rachel was walking down the hallway, a small sad smile on her face. She'd just left her note on Mr. Schue's desk, knowing he would receive it next period. She was walking past the auditorium when an arm reached out of the open door and pulled her in, pulling the door shut as well. Letting out a small squeak as she hit a warm solid wall of muscle, Rachel looked up into Puck's laughing eyes.

"That. Was. Brilliant!" he said, picking her up and spinning her around.

Rachel let loose a burst of laughter and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"You're gonna make me sick Noah!" she warned him laughing, "Put me down."

"You didn't have to do that you know," he said, putting her feet back on the floor.

Rachel smiled and shrugged, "I know. I wanted to. I figured it might help you out a little bit."

As Puck hugged her again, the auditorium doors flew open; making the couple pull apart in surprise.

"So it's true?!" Santana demanded, storming down the aisle to where they stood, "You're with _her_ now?! Did you cheat on me with this little Gleek slut too?"

The smile in Rachel's eyes dimmed and she pulled away from Puck, eyes filling with tears. Puck sighed, annoyed.

"Santana, you _dumped_ me. You have _no_ say in who I do and don't see. I never cheated on you with Rachel. We're done. Deal with it and move on. Cause you can see that I did," Puck returned.

Santana turned her glare to Rachel, "You couldn't take Finn away from Quinn so you went after _my_ boyfriend? You little slut—"

Rachel _really_ hated that word. And as soon as it left Santana's mouth the second time, Rachel's hand came up of its own accord and slapped her across the face, leaving a red handprint in its wake.

"I am _not_ a slut," Rachel ground out, temper getting the better of her, "I never went after Finn, but I didn't hide in a corner pining away for him either. And I didn't go after _your_ boyfriend, I went after _Noah_, who has been single since you dumped him publicly in the hallway 2 weeks ago for what? Having bad credit?! You shallow, vapid little Cheerio. You think you're so much better than me; well guess what? You're _NOT_. So get over yourself Santana, because no matter how much make up you put on; or how many people you have to stand on to make yourself feel better about who you are, deep down; you're still _just like me._"

Stunned, Santana stared at Rachel for a minute; mouth hanging open. And watched as Puck, _Noah_ she corrected herself, wrapped his arm around Rachel's shoulders; holding her gently against his side.

"Get out of here," he said quietly.

Silently, Santana turned around and walked out of the auditorium; knowing that she'd forever lost Puck.

Once the doors clanged shut, Puck turned to Rachel, hands on her shoulders as she tried to even out her breathing.

"You okay?" he asked worriedly.

Rachel nodded, "Yea."

"Feel better?" he asked with a smirk.

Rachel smiled back at him; "Surprisingly…yea, I do."


	9. Emotional Roller Coaster

They walked down the hallway together, Puck's arm still around Rachel's shoulders. According to the rumor mill, they were dating; but they knew the truth of their situation, just friends. Always just friends. Rachel froze up a bit when she looked down the hallway and saw Finn and Quinn arguing. Feeling Puck stiffen at her side, she knew what the two were fighting about.

"I have the distinct feeling that one or both of us is going to get hit today," she murmured.

They moved off to the side of the hallway to talk as Kurt and Mercedes came up to them.

"So," Kurt asked, "When did this happen? Is this the 'friend' you were helping out yesterday?"

"Yes this is the _friend_," Rachel stressed the word, "that I was helping yesterday."

"Is everything okay?" Mercedes asked Puck.

He slid a glance towards Finn; who was walking towards the small group, "I guess we're about to find out."

Seeing the angry look on Finn's face, Rachel slid her body in front of Puck's. As much as she knew he would deserve whatever Finn wanted to do to him, she knew she couldn't let him do it on school grounds and get in trouble. Finn getting in trouble would mean no more football and no more New Directions; and they would need him now that Rachel was gone.

"Finn, stop," she said evenly.

Finn glared down at Rachel, "Move out of my way," he said, "He deserves this."

"It's okay Rach," Puck said softly, one hand on her shoulder.

"I know," Rachel replied; ignoring Puck and the gaping looks from Kurt and Mercedes, "But if you beat him up on school grounds you get suspended and then the football team has no chance of winning the season and New Directions has no chance at Nationals, let alone Regionals."

Mr. Schuster came up to the small group then, "Rachel," he said; showing her the paper in his hand, "A word?"

Rachel nodded and she felt Puck's hand tighten on her shoulder slightly before staring down Finn.

"Walk away Finn. For now anyway. Kill him in football practice. Then you don't get in trouble."

As she slid from between the two boys, Rachel pulled Mercedes in her place; knowing that the strong girl would understand. She walked down the hallway a little ways with Mr. Schuster, not looking at him.

"Can you explain this to me please?" he asked softly.

Rachel hung her head slightly, her emotions had been on a roller coaster all day and she was getting tired of it.

"I think it pretty much explains itself Mr. Shue," she said quietly.

As they spoke, neither felt the four pairs of eyes on them in the forms of Kurt, Finn, Mercedes and Puck.

"Does anyone know what's going on?" Kurt asked.

Puck groaned and ran a hand over his head, "Yea. She just quit New Directions."

"What?!" the other three asked.

"Why would she do that?" Mercedes asked.

"We need her!" Kurt admitted.

Puck sighed, "She's tired of trying to defend herself against Quinn and the other girls all the time. I don't think Brittany is a real problem, but she follows along with whatever Quinn and Santana want, and usually that's to make Rachel's life hell. And you have to admit Kurt, the group doesn't act like they need her, they act like she's a burden. She thinks that if she hides in a corner then everything will just go away," he saw Mr. Shue walk away from Rachel and sighed, "Excuse me," he said as he walked away.


	10. At Last

After Mr. Shue walked away from her, Rachel hurried out of the hallway into one of the music practice rooms and sat on the piano bench, dropping her bag on the floor. Taking a shaky breath, she lightly rested her fingers on the keys and closed her eyes; beginning to play a long forgotten song that she felt from her soul.

_At last  
my love has come along  
my lonely days over  
and life is like a song_

Puck closed the door to the practice room silently and leaned against it, listening to Rachel play.

_Ooh At last  
the skies above are blue  
well my heart was wrapped up in clover  
the night I looked at you  
_

Her heart hurt, crushed into thousands of tiny shards that she didn't think could be put back together again. New Directions had made her the happiest she'd ever been, but she was so tired of trying to fight everyone all the time. She just wanted some peace.

_  
I found a dream  
that I could speak to  
a dream that I could call my own  
I found a thrill  
to press my cheek to  
a thrill that I have never known_

Puck listened to the words, but felt the emotion more than anything. This wasn't his Goldie playing to impress; this was Rachel Jennifer Barry, playing to try and heal her heart and soul.

_You smile  
you smile  
oh and then the spell was cast  
and here we are in heaven  
for you are mine at last  
_

She let everything out as she played, trying to bring herself back to what she had before. But something didn't feel right, she knew it and it bothered her. She'd never felt so empty inside, like a piece of her was missing.

_  
I found a dream  
that I could speak to  
a dream that I  
could call my own  
I found a thrill  
to press my cheek to  
a thrill that I have never known  
_

He didn't know what to do to make her feel better, if he _could_ make her feel better. He couldn't believe she'd lied to him and just up and quit instead of thinking about it like he'd asked her to. This wasn't his Rachel, what had happened to _his_ Rachel? The girl who never let anyone get her down, the one who kept a positive outlook on life no matter what got thrown in her face. This Rachel scared him, because she wasn't _his_ Rachel.

_  
You smile  
you smile  
oh and then the spell was cast  
and here we are in heaven  
for you are mine at last_

_Oooh yea  
you are mine  
you are mine  
at last  
at last  
at last  
at last_

She played the last notes and bowed her head, feeling someone else in the room with her. Neither spoke a word. They didn't need to. He slowly walked over and sat down next to her on the piano bench, wrapping his arm around her and pulling her head to rest on his shoulder. They sat together in silence until the bell rang, signaling the end of the period.

(Etta James/Cindy Lauper/Beyonce Knowles "At Last")


	11. Good Bye Glee

(Quick A/N: Thinking about turning this into a Puck/Rachel fic because I can't seem to write any good chapters about her and Finn together…tell me your thoughts…)

* * *

The day ended, as did the rain, and Rachel hurried home; opting to walk rather than wait for a ride. With each step she took away from the school, she felt more and more unhappy. No more musicals, no more New Directions; wasn't it for the best? It was… Wasn't it?

Meanwhile, everyone gathered back at the school auditorium for the next rehearsal. Kurt, Finn, Mercedes and Puck were standing together; silent, when Mr. Schue walked in.

"Okay guys, before we get started—"

"W-wh-where's Rachel?" Tina interrupted.

Mr. Schue sighed, "That's what I wanted to talk to you guys about. All of you, listen. Especially you Ms. Fabray;"

(Mr. Schue reading Rachel's note)

_Mr. Schue and New Directions;_

_You'll never understand how hard this is for me to say, but I'm not coming back to New Directions. I'm so tired of having to defend myself all the time. You call me bossy, I call myself motivated. You call me an 'attention grabber', I call myself the next big star. What I want in life can't be found in high school, or in Lima. So you win Quinn, you and your Cheerios win. I only hope that it's worth it._

_You guys will do great without me, because you still have everything you need to win. I'll still come and support you all, I just can't deal with Quinn or the Cheerios anymore. Every chance they got, they made my life horrible; and I'm tired of trying to pick up the pieces. So I bow out now, with what's left of my dignity; and grace._

_To Kurt, Tina, Arty and Mercedes; I'm sorry if I've let you down. But when it was just us, New Directions was a family. I love you all._

_Rachel J. Barry_

Mr. Schue looked up at the group and waved the letter slightly.

"Does anyone want to explain this to me?" he asked.

"I think it's pretty self explanatory," Kurt replied, shooting a glare over at Quinn and the rest of the Cheerios.

"R-Rachel is right," Tina said softly, "Wh-when it w-was just u-us. W-we were f-f-family."

Mr. Schue sighed again and shook his head; "Puck, can you talk her out of this?" he asked.

Puck shook his head, shoving his hands in his pockets; "Once Rach sets her mind on something, there's no changing it. And even if I could, I wouldn't. Not after the way she was treated here."

"Like you were any better!" Quinn snapped at him.

"Actually Quinn, I was. Rachel and I have been friends since we were four. I just became an idiot and thought that what you guys thought about me was more important than that," Puck returned, eyes blazing.

Quinn gaped at him; "You're _friends _with that _thing_?!"

"SHUT UP QUINN!!" Tina, Arty, Mercedes, Kurt and Finn all shouted at her.

"Quiet! All of you!" Mr. Schue hollered.

The group turned to look at him and he kept his eyes on Puck, "Go talk to her."

Puck nodded his head and turned to leave when Finn spoke up, "I think I should go."

"No. I think you and Rachel need time away from each other," Mr. Schue replied sternly.

Puck shook his head in silent laughter as he left the auditorium.


	12. Pillow Talk

Puck arrives at Rachel's and knocks on the door, a little surprised when he doesn't hear music coming from inside the house. The front door swings open and Rachel's dad is standing there.

"Hey Mr. B, is Rachel home?" he asks, shoving his hands into his pockets.

Rachel's dad smiles, "Hi Noah, yes, she's up in her room."

He moves aside to let Puck in, who nods and thanks him before making his way up the staircase to Rachel's room. He knocks on her bedroom door, but there's no answer so he just opens it up and stands in the doorway. The room is completely dark and she's lying on her bed hugging this huge pillow thing she owned. It was like, her size. With a sigh, he strips off his jacket and tosses it over her desk chair as he toes off his shoes. He makes his way to her bed in his stocking feet and slips in behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist.

Rachel heard her door open, but assumed it was one of her dads. When she heard the sigh and the movement across the room, she wasn't sure who it was; so she didn't move. Then she felt the bed dip down under added weight and a pair of arms wrap around her body. The smell of him reached her nose and she sighed softly before letting go of her body pillow and rolling over to face him.

"You're supposed to be at Glee," she whispered, looking into his eyes.

"Mr. Schue asked me to come talk to you," he rumbled.

Rachel looked away from his face as he pulled her closer and rested her head against his chest before letting out a little laugh.

"I'm kinda surprised he didn't send Finn."

"Finn thought he should be the one to come talk to you too. But Mr. Schue told him you needed some time away from each other."

Rachel smiles against his chest, watching one of her hands trace random patterns on his arm.

"What am I gonna do Taz?" she whispered softly.

He shrugged, keeping his arms tight around her, "No idea Goldie. Do what your heart tells you."

Her laugh was bitter, "My heart tells me I'm an idiot and to go back to what made me happy in the first place."

"So why don't you?"

She looked up at him and he realizes what made her happy in the first place. Glee.

"Oh, never mind."

"Exactly Taz. I can't keep fighting."

"What if you didn't have to?"

"It'll never be that way, so why even wonder?"

"What if it was Goldie?"

Rachel pushed away and sat up slightly, looking down at Puck; confusion clear on her features.

"What are you talking about?" she demanded.

Puck pulled her back down and wrapped his arms around her again.

"What if Quinn left you alone? And the other Cheerios?"

"That would be wonderful, but Noah; we both know that will never happen."

The heat from his body was making her sleepy, and the hand he kept running up and down her back was relaxing her to a point that she hadn't been in a while, so she snuggled into his body and briefly wondered if this is what he would act like if they were really dating as she closed her eyes.

"You just worry about talking to Mr. Schue. I'll deal with the Cheerios."

She felt him press a kiss to the crown of her head and sighed softly before falling asleep.


	13. Trying Something

Rachel woke up the next morning, alone in her bed; but with a small smile on her face. He had left his jacket in her room, she saw it hanging over her desk chair. It was Friday, so she knew she had to get up and get showered and dressed. Stretching, she stood from her bed and let out a small groan. She gathered her clothing and walked into the bathroom, intending to shower quickly and get dressed; but the hot water felt so good she stood under the spray, unmoving, for ten minutes. Shaking herself, she finally finishes showering and gets dressed, going back into her room to finish getting ready.

She froze in the middle of finishing her make up as her dream from the night before came back to her. Falling asleep in Noah's arms, his scent surrounding her; his body aligned with hers that must be the reason that she'd dreamed about him instead of Finn. Right?

Shaking her head, Rachel finished with her make up and pulled her hair up, wanting it out of her face. She heard a knock on the front door and grabbed her bag. She hurried down the stairs and threw open the door, smiling brightly at Puck.

"Hey, come in, I just need to grab something to eat," she said, turning and walking away from the door, "You're jacket is up in my room by the way!" she called back to him.

"I know, I'm going to go get it."

She heard him climb the stairs and shakily sat down on one of the breakfast stools, hand over her heart as it raced. He looked so good! Why? Why did he have to look so good?? No. Nonononononono. Noah Puckerman was off limits, she needed to keep him as her friend. And he was the _father_ of Quinn's _baby_ for crying out loud. So lost in her thoughts, she didn't hear him come down the back stairs into the kitchen, or hear him call her name. When his hand came down on her shoulder, she jumped, making him laugh.

"You alright?" he asked.

"Yes. No. I don't know," she replied, shaking her head.

"Can I help?"

Rachel looked up at him, her mind and heart racing. Slowly, she stood and moved in front of him. Puck stared down at her, confused and concerned. And if he admits it to himself, he's curious. Sure, they've been best friends since diapers, but he's always wondered if they could ever be something more. That's why he dared her to be his first kiss when they were eleven. He notices that a strand of her hair fell out of the ponytail she's got it in and reached up, brushing it behind her ear and letting his fingers trail over her cheekbone.

"Can I try something?" she asked him, tilting her head slightly.

Puck shrugged, "Sure."

Before she could talk herself out of it, Rachel leaned up and touched her lips to his. Puck was shocked at first, then reacted by dropping his hands to her waist and pulling her closer to him. Rachel let out a small gasp and Puck deepened the kiss as he felt her arms wrap around his neck.

Rachel allowed herself to get lost in his touch for a minute before pushing herself away, breathing heavily. There were tears in her eyes as she looked up at her best friend and shook her head.

"I'm not going to school," she whispered.

"What? Rachel—"

She shook her head violently, "No. I can't," her voice cracked and she knew that if she didn't get away from him soon that she'd give in and break down, "Go."

"I'm not going to leave you here alone after that!" he said.

The pain in her eyes made his anger falter.

"Please?" she whispered as she looked away from him and wrapped her arms around herself.

He was torn between wanting to stay with her and giving her the space she needed. Finally, he hung his head, nodding sadly.

"Alright. But I want to see you after practice. Can I come back?"

She couldn't deny him. She never could, and knew she never would.

"Okay."

She could tell that he wanted to say something else, but instead shook his head and left. Rachel saw his jacket laying on the kitchen table and felt her heart shudder. She closed her eyes and let one solitary tear slip down her cheek.


	14. Insight

Puck walked into school, upset and disjointed from everything around him. He went through his first couple of classes on autopilot; not really paying attention to anything or anyone. It wasn't until Quinn dragged him into the auditorium during lunch that he was pulled from his inner musings.

"What?" he asked, pulling his arm from her grip.

"What's going on with you? What's wrong?"

"Nothing."

"You're lying," Quinn said, crossing her arms over her chest.

Puck groaned and dropped into one of the theatre seats. Dropping her arms, Quinn sat down next to him.

"What happened?" she asked softly.

"Quinn, I gotta know something."

"Sure."

"Is there _any_ way that this kid isn't mine?"

Quinn blinked in surprise, thinking maybe he was joking; but the pure fear and unhappiness in his eyes made her stop.

"I—I don't know," she admitted, looking away.

"What do you mean you don't know?" he asked.

"I—uhm, I was _really_ drunk at that party."

"I know. I was there. That's how we ended up sleeping together."

"You weren't the only guy I slept with that night," she whispered.

"What?!"

"I was so mad at Finn," she said, beginning to cry, "I was feeling really good with all the alcohol in my system—and after we slept together, after you left the party, I found another guy and…hooked up with him too."

Puck stared at her, incredulous.

"Did you tell Finn that?" he asked her finally.

Quinn nodded, still crying; "That's why he wanted to hit you so bad the other day. He was pissed that you didn't take care of me when I was drunk. That you left me alone."

"You _told_ me to get away from you!"

"I know!" Quinn cried out, "I know," she whispered again, "A couple days later, the guy called me and asked if I wanted to hook up again. I was so pissed at Finn for being so into Glee; that I said yes."

Puck was silent, his mind racing over everything she'd just said.

"Have you talked to anyone about this?" he asked.

Quinn shook her head, "There's no one I _can_ talk to about it. Besides you and Finn anyway."

"Look Quinn, if this baby _is_ mine, I will be there for you. No matter what."

"But we'll never work out," Quinn interrupted.

Puck stared at her again and she cracked a smile, "You're best friends with a Gleek. And as much as I'm starting to tolerate those kids, I can tell how close you guys are. It took me a little bit to figure it out, but I did," she turned quiet, the wheels in her mind turning, "Did something happen with her?" she asked.

Puck sighed, rubbing his hands over his head, "Me and Rach, we've always been close. Even when I wasn't the kind of friend she needed, she was always there for me," he smirked, "When we were eleven, I used to think that me and her would end up together; so during a game of truth or dare, I dared her to kiss me."

Quinn let out a giggle and quickly covered her mouth when Puck glanced at her.

"Been my best friend since we were four," he told her with a deep sigh, "She helped me deal when my dad left us, and I was there when she lost her first competition. Then hormones got in the way, and I never felt comfortable around her; so I pushed her away. One night, freshman year, she came to my house; crying and begging me to tell her what she'd done wrong. Why I hated her," he shook his head, "I didn't know what to say. So I just shut the door in her face. When," his breathing stuttered, "when mom and I found out that my dad had died; I went to Rachel. She opened the door, and I half expected her to slam it shut in my face like I'd done to her. But she just hugged me and told me she forgave me."

Quinn placed her hand in his, making Puck look up at her again.

"When did you fall in love with her?" she asked softly.

Puck took a deep breath, "When she was my first kiss."


	15. The Hallway

The day dragged on for everyone, but Puck was feeling better after his talk with Quinn at lunch. He didn't even mind it when Arty came up to him in the hallway to see if he would be at Glee that day.

"Yea, but me and Finn are leaving early for football. Tanaka has been breathing down our necks about being late to practice all the time. He only leaves Kurt alone cause the guy scares him."

"What? Does he think homosexuality is a disease?"

Puck snorted out a laugh, "No, he's just freaked that Kurt's gonna start hitting on him one of these days."

Arty laughed, "Kurt's got better taste than that."

"Yo! Puck!" they heard come down the hall and Arty stiffened.

They both looked up to see a couple of football players coming down the hall.

"See ya," Arty muttered.

But Puck placed a hand on his shoulder, "Naw man, they'll be cool. They know not to mess with me."

"You slummin' now Puck?"

Puck shook his head, "Dude, slumming is hanging out with you rejects when I could be hanging out with the next Jimmy Hendrix here," he said, motioning to Arty.

All three stared at him, making him shake his head.

"You guys may not see much when you look at him, but you should hear this guy play. He's ridiculous."

When none of them spoke, he merely shook his head again and turned to Arty, "I'll see you later man."

Arty nodded, happily surprised; "Sure. Oh, hey," he said before wheeling off, "Have you seen Rachel today?"

Puck froze for a millisecond, but Arty noticed it and frowned; "She's not feeling good today. So she stayed home. But I'm sure she'll be back tomorrow."

Arty nodded, making a note to talk to Tina and Mercedes before glee, to see if they would go and check on Rachel after practice. Finn and Puck would both be at football still, so maybe the girls could scope out what was wrong. Hey, he may have been paralyzed, but his senses were still sharp as ever. He was thankful when he didn't hear and snide remarks from the football players as he wheeled away.

When he saw Mercedes walking down the hall towards him, he motioned to her and told her what had happened in the hall just then with Puck and the football players.

"Well dang Art," she said with a small grin, "Maybe things really _are_ changing for the better."

"It was just weird Mercedes. Especially when I asked him about Rachel. He froze up for a couple seconds, but I don't think anyone noticed except me. He said Rachel didn't come to school because she wasn't feeling good."

Mercedes frowned, "That doesn't sound like our Diva. She came to school when she had walking pneumonia last winter. And now she's not here because she 'doesn't feel good'? That's a lie."

"I know," Arty replied as they began down the hallway, "But I wasn't going to call him out in front of the other players. I'm already paralyzed, I'd rather not become a quadriplegic," he said sarcastically.

Mercedes smiled and shook her head, "Ya know something Arty, the guys who joined glee aren't that bad. I mean, Matt and I just got paired together on a project for Latin and there wasn't one snide comment the whole time we were working. We actually got along."

Arty nodded, "I know. Freaky, isn't it?"

She laughed, "Yea, but in a good way. Come on, we're going to be late for practice."


	16. Rachel's House

Before glee practice started, Puck quietly spoke with Mr. Schue; who nodded his head at what he was being told. They ran through the numbers for Sectionals and began debating on what to chose for Regionals, should they make it that far. It was around then that Finn, Puck, Kurt and the other football players left to go to practice.

"Mr. Schue?" Mercedes asked when the guys had left, "Can me and Tina go too? We want to try and talk Rachel into coming back."

"Sure girls. Why don't we just call practice to an end?" Mr. Schue said, nodding.

"Mercedes?" Quinn asked suddenly, "Do you mind if I go with you? I—I want to apologize to Rachel. I _need_ to."

Mercedes raised her eyebrows, but nodded her head, "Sure. But if Rachel tells you to leave, then you leave."

Quinn nodded and the three girls left in Quinn's car. She had to ask Mercedes for directions, since she'd never been there before. It was a surprisingly short ride and when the girls arrived at Rachel's they found out some things about each other that had small friendships beginning to blossom. When Rachel opened the front door and saw the three of them standing on her steps, her mouth dropped open slightly.

"Can we talk to you?" Mercedes asked.

Rachel nodded and stepped back to let the three girls in. They walked upstairs to her room after Rachel shut the door, and sat in different parts of her room. No one spoke for a few minutes.

"Not that I don't want to see you, but why are you here?" Rachel finally asked quietly.

"Puck told Arty that you didn't come to school today because you weren't feeling good. We knew that was a lie. I mean, girl, I remember you coming to school with walking pneumonia. So what's the deal?"

"Y-yea Rach, w-wh-what's up?" Tina asked.

"It's Puck isn't it?" Quinn asked quietly.

All three girls turned to face her and she looked down at her hands clasped in her lap.

"Puck and I talked in school today. I wanted to know what was wrong with him."

"What do you mean?" Rachel asked.

"He was a space cadet all day. Not noticing anything around him. I won't be surprised if he gets killed in football practice today because his mind was wandering. Anyway, I pulled him into the auditorium during lunch and made him talk to me. He told me about you guys' friendship. And I figured out why he was so out of it."

Rachel looked away, blushing hotly.

"Did something happen between you two??" Mercedes asked, noticing the blush.

Rachel's blush grew hotter and Mercedes laughed.

"It did!! What happened?!" she begged.

"I kissed him this morning," Rachel whispered, looking down at her hands.

"S-s-so?" Tina asked, shrugging.

Rachel took a deep breath and let it out on a sigh, "When Noah and I were younger, I used to think that we would get married," she said softly before smiling, "We were each other's first kiss. And then puberty hit, and he and I lost each other. High school came around, and I missed my best friend. So, one night, I went over to his house. It had been a horrible day and knowing that I couldn't even talk to my best friend about it crushed me. I was crying when he answered the door. I begged him to tell me what I had done wrong, why he hated me. Had we screwed up our friendship so badly because of that kiss that he hated me?" she paused and wiped away a few tears, "He looked so; I don't know, annoyed that I was there, and shut the door in my face. I didn't talk to anyone for three days. His dad left him and his mom when he was really young, and I was there for him through that. Then, right at the beginning of sophomore year, his mom called my house and told my dads that Noah's dad died and was he there because he ran off. There was a knock on the door then, and I opened to see him standing there, looking so lost; so hurt, that I couldn't stay mad at him. I just hugged him tight, and told him I was sorry, and that I forgave him and that I would always be there for him."

"S-s-so wh-what changed?" Tina asked.

Rachel looked up with a sad smile, "I fell in love with him again."


	17. A Long Overdue Apology

"What about Finn?" Quinn asked curiously.

"Yea, I thought you were in love with Finn," Mercedes said with a nod.

Rachel shrugged, "I think I was more in love with an _idea_ of Finn. The boy next door," she sighed, "I'm just going to swear off all men. What's the point in wanting something you can't have?"

"Why can't you have Puck?" Quinn asked.

Rachel was surprised, "He's the father of your baby Quinn. And now that you might let him be apart of the baby's life, I'm not going to get in the way. And, I'm sorry for everything that happened with Finn. I knew he was your boyfriend, but I just couldn't stop myself."

Quinn took a deep breath, "Can you girls give me and Rachel a minute please?" she asked Mercedes and Tina.

They nodded and left the room. Quinn waited a second before speaking.

"Rachel, I'm sorry about every mean thing I've done to you. I guess in a way, I was jealous."

"You were jealous of _me_?" Rachel's eyes bugged out of her head.

Quinn nodded, "You're really talented, and you've got all this motivation to boost yourself up. And I envy that your parents only want what makes you happy, not what's best for them. After Mr. Schue read your note, I admit that I felt guilty about everything. And then, talking to Puck today; I guess I saw another side of him that apparently only _you_ bring out."

Both girls were quiet for a few minutes.

"And I want you to know something," Quinn finally said, "Puck might _not_ be the father of my baby. He wasn't the only guy I slept with that night," Rachel stared at her and she shrugged, "I was really drunk, and mad at Finn and you and just everyone. And all the alcohol made me feel _really_ good. Besides, I know Puck will be there if he is the father. But he and I will never be a couple. So why deny him happiness?"

"What do you mean?" Rachel asked her.

Quinn smiled at her, "He loves you too. He's just to much of an idiot to say anything," she told her.

Rachel began blushing again, "Oh."

Quinn giggled, "I think you guys will be good together. You know, he hasn't thrown a Slushie on anyone in weeks."

Rachel laughed aloud at that. After a mutual fit of giggles, they fell silent again.

"Quinn?" Rachel started hesitantly, "I know we never got along, but; if you ever need someone to talk to, you can talk to me. I'd—I'd like us to be friends."

"Why?" Quinn asked, "I've always been awful to you. Why would you want to be friends with me?"

"Because you need a real friend," Rachel said softly, "Someone who _won't_ talk about you behind your back like the Cheerios do."

Quinn was surprised, and felt flattered, "Thanks. I might take you up on that."

They smiled at each other and there was a knock on the door. Mercedes stuck her head in and looked at Rachel.

"Girl, the former object of your affections is here."

Rachel froze, her face going pale. Quinn reached out and squeezed her hand.

"It's okay," she said gently.

Rachel nodded and the three girls walked back downstairs where Tina and Finn sat in the living room.

"We're gonna go," Quinn said, watching Finn as he stood.

She looked at Rachel one more time, "Thanks. I'll call you later okay?"

Rachel nodded, glancing at Finn to see the look of monumental surprise on his face. She quickly hugged the three girls and walked them to the door.

"If you need to, come out on the porch and talk to him," Quinn whispered, "I think Puck will be on his way here soon. And I know if he sees you guys out front, he won't have a problem with it. But it _will _hurt him if he walks in and you're cozy on the couch."

Rachel nodded and they left. When Quinn's car was out of the driveway, she turned back to Finn.

"Can we talk outside?" she asked softly.

Finn nodded his head and they went on the porch.


	18. Baby, It's Cold Outside

Rachel closed the door behind them and waited for Finn to start talking. She could tell he was really nervous, but then; so was she. Shivering from a gust of wind, she crossed her arms over her chest.

"Did you need something Finn?" she asked quietly.

"Do you have plans tonight?" Finn blurted out.

Rachel looked at him.

"What?" she finally asked.

"Do you have any plans for tonight? Because I thought maybe we could do something?"

Finn shoved his hands in his pockets, and the action made Rachel smile slightly; thinking of Noah.

"I don't know. I guess that depends on Noah," she told him, looking away.

"What?" Finn asked her, surprised.

Rachel shrugged, her eyes sincere as she looked up at him, ignoring the hair that blew across her face with the wind.

"He's coming over so we can talk."

"When?"

Rachel shrugged again and turned away, this time scanning the street for any sign of Noah's truck.

"He was supposed to be here after football practice."

"Then he'll be another half hour. Coach made him do extra laps for not paying attention today."

"Is he okay?" Rachel asked.

It was Finn's turn to shrug before he answered.

"Probably just sore. Am I right when I say you're the reason he was so out of it?" Finn asked.

He wasn't sure what stung more when Rachel looked at him again; the apology in her eyes, or the one she said.

"I'm sorry Finn."

"Why?"

"Why what?" she asked, confused.

"Why him? I thought you liked _me_."

Rachel reached out and put a hand on his arm, "I _do_ like you Finn. But you were right, we can only be friends."

She felt her heart shudder when Finn shook his head.

"I don't think I can do that now Rachel," he answered quietly.

"Finn—"

"Can we start over?" he interrupted.

Rachel's hand dropped from his arm, "Start over?" she asked.

"Before any of this junk happened. When I first started Glee. Can we start over?"

He took a small step back and held out his hand, a goofy smile on his face.

"Hi, I'm Finn. The only reason I'm joining Glee is because I need the extra Spanish credit that Mr. Schue is giving me."

Rachel let out a small laugh her eyes bright, and took Finn's hand.

"I'm Rachel, I'm the Diva of New Directions."

They both laughed and Finn pulled Rachel into a hug, holding her to him tightly.

"Rachel?" they both heard a voice ask.

Rachel pulled back from Finn and saw Puck standing at the bottom of the steps, waiting. Her smile grew bigger as she broke away from Finn and hopped down the steps to wrap her arms around Puck's shoulders. Finn watched as his friend wrapped his arms around her waist and buried his face into Rachel's neck, taking a deep breath. Yea, he'd just done the same exact thing with her hair, so he knew what Puck was doing. Shaking himself, he walked down the steps past them.

"I'll see you later Rachel. You're coming back now, right?"

Rachel pulled away from Puck slightly to answer him, "Yes. I'll see you Monday."


	19. Feelin' Hot, Hot, Hot

Puck and Rachel watched as Finn walked to the curb and got into his mother's station wagon before starting up the vehicle, waving good bye and pulling away. When he was out of sight, Puck looked back at Rachel; concerned.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

Rachel eased back, realizing that he still held her close to him. She moved her hands down to his chest and pushed slightly, taking a small step back.

"Better now," she said softly.

For some unknown reason, Puck's arms ached to hold Rachel close again. Being who he was, he normally gave into his needs. But something told him that if he did that with her, he would lose her. So his heart leapt when she reached out again and took his hand, tugging it gently.

"Come on," her voice was quiet, warm; "Let's go inside."

He laced his fingers with hers and let her lead him back into her house. She shut the door behind them and began to turn towards him; speaking.

"You left your jacket here again—"

Puck was suddenly there in front of her, pushing her back against the closed door as his mouth attacked hers. Rachel gasped in a breath when she felt his hands at her bare waist where her shirt had ridden up from being pushed against the door. Puck took the opportunity to deepen the kiss and press his body more firmly against hers. He had one leg wedged between both of hers as her arms came up and wrapped around him, her nails digging into his scalp slightly.

Rachel couldn't breathe, he was holding her against him so tightly that her lungs were constricted. But that was okay with her, so long as she could die this way. With his body pressed against hers and their bodies intertwining with one another. The only way this could be better was—

She cut that train of thought off there. He finally pulled back so they could both breathe, and she made a small sound of disappointment. Both were breathing heavily as they looked into each other's eyes. Rachel could feel his breath hitting her face and she bit her lip, making Puck's eyes trail from hers down to her lips. Her body felt like it was burning, and she felt tingles from where his hands still touched her bare skin.

"Noah."

It sounded breathless and warm and the way she said his name made him groan deep in his chest.

"Screw it," he muttered as he pulled her back to him.

Fire raced through both their veins as they lost themselves in the kiss. Rachel's eyes fluttered shut and she felt one of his work-roughened hands slip down the side of her leg, catching the hem of the skirt she wore. Without thinking, she brought her leg up and rested her bare foot against the back of his knee. When he groaned again, Rachel felt a little thrill race through her as she held onto his shoulders. Suddenly, she could breathe as he tore his mouth away from hers, moving to press kisses down the side of her neck.

Rachel gasped when he lightly nipped at her pulse and she could feel it scrambling under her skin. The groan that was ripped from her throat made her think her heart would beat out of her chest when he found that place, the one right behind her ear; that not even _she_ realized drove her crazy.

The ringing of her house phone pulled them both back to their senses and they stared at each other, as if seeing the other for the first time. Very slowly, Rachel dropped her leg back to the floor and pushed Puck away from her. He stayed where he was, but turned to watch her walk shakily to the phone, and grinned to himself. _He_ did that to her. No one else. _Him._

"Hello?" Rachel was breathless, eyes on Puck.

"Oh, hi Daddy. No, I'm fine. I was just outside when the phone rang."

Her eyes widened slightly when Puck took a step towards her and he chuckled darkly. Rachel spun around, thinking that he would stop if she wasn't looking at him. She realized quickly, when his hands came around her waist, that she was _very_ wrong.

His grin grew predatory when she turned her back to him and he walked up behind her, his hands wrapping around her waist and his chin resting on the opposite shoulder that she held the phone on.

"OH?" she said quickly, her voice rose slightly when his fingers brushed bare skin again, "So, when are you coming home then?" she nodded, listening, "Alright Daddy. I'll be fine for a few days," she felt him brush her hair off her neck and his lips touched her skin lightly, making her shiver; "I love you too Daddy. Bye."

She'd barely set the phone back in its cradle when she was spun around to face Puck again. She clutched at his biceps, trying to stem the wave of dizziness that washed over her.

"Home alone?" he asked, a small grin gracing his features.

Rachel frowned, "Don't get any ideas Noah," she said, pushing away.

Puck shrugged, his hands going into his pockets, "I wasn't."

But the grin on his face made her think differently.


	20. Oh How We've Changed

(A/N: Wow…I just got my first bad review of this story…apparently I've "ruined the characters"…..(shrugs) OH WELL…Shout out to Puck's Girl in the coming chapters!! Can you spot it???)

* * *

Rachel was wary, to say the least, about the way Puck was looking at her.

"I think we should talk," she said softly.

The smirk on his face dropped slightly, and Rachel bit her lip to keep from letting her emotions get the better of her. They sat together on her couch, but the few inches between them felt like miles now.

"Finn wants to start over," she told him in a whisper.

"Start _what_ over?" he asked.

"Our friendship."

One of the weights he carried was gone with those two little words.

"Friendship?"

She nodded, finally looking at him, a small smile on her face.

"He was right you know, he and I can only ever be friends. I realized that when I found you in the auditorium and you and I started talking about everything that had happened. And then when he came out of the locker room after you two talked, I realized that I didn't feel the same way when I saw him anymore. That I felt that for you. And he knows that, so he wants to try and start over with me, just as friends. Before the kiss, before Quinn, before you. Before any of it happened."

"Okay?" Puck was confused.

Trust Rachel to use a hundred words when ten would've worked just fine. Rachel laughed lightly and shook her head, turning towards him on the couch. He was partially turned towards her, watching her carefully.

"I don't want Finn," she said slowly.

She ducked her head, blushing; and Puck found that unbelievably cute for whatever reason. His heart stuttered in his chest when she looked up at him from under her lashes.

"I want you."

Her words arrowed straight to his hormones and Puck let out a deep groan as he dropped his head. Rachel's heart sank, had she said the wrong thing? She was startled when he began to chuckle.

"You really shouldn't have said that Rach," he laughed, looking up at her with a predatory gleam in his eye.

She knew what that look meant, she'd seen it plenty of times when he had been dating (and sleeping with) Santana and when he'd been chasing after all those cougars. Rachel jumped off the couch and ran, knowing he was right behind her. She made a beeline for the door and was able to _just_ get her hand around the doorknob when he caught up with her, grabbing her hips and spinning her around to face him.

He swooped down and picked her up, lifting her over his shoulder as she laughed; smacking his back and shoulders.

"Noah Michael Puckerman! You put me down!"

He carried her back into the living room.

"In a second," he replied, swatting her backside.

Rachel let out an indignant yelp and hit him again, smirking when he flinched. Then her world was right side up before she found herself on her back, looking up into his smirking face. She opened her mouth to speak, but he quickly covered her mouth with his and she sighed, losing herself in the feel of him. She felt his weight settle over her, but didn't feel smothered. Surrounded by him, yes, but not smothered. Pouring everything she had into the kiss, she wrapped her arms around him, taking pleasure in the fact that _he_ wanted _her_. _Only_ her.

But then one thought hit her. One thought that made her freeze up. Her hands moved to the front of his chest and pushed against him. He reluctantly broke the kiss, looking down at her. When he saw that there was fear in her eyes, he quickly moved and they both sat up next to each other, his arm around her shoulders.

"What is it?" he asked her gently.

"I don't think I can do this," Rachel commented softly.

"Rachel—" Puck started, but she just shook her head.

"I can't ruin our friendship again."

"What are you talking about Rach?" Puck asked, exasperated.

He hated that she'd started crying, and pulled her to him; holding her against his chest as she sobbed softly. Murmuring to her, he rubbed her back gently.


	21. An Unwelcome Visitor

They sat in silence, Puck trying to think of a way to make her feel better; and Rachel trying to think of how she could be alone again. She _loved_ him, but not knowing how he felt, despite what Quinn had said; made her gun-shy. A knock on the door interrupted her musings and she pulled away from his warmth to answer the door. Surprise turned into shock, which turned into anger when she saw the person at the door.

"What do _you_ want Santana?" she asked, hands on her hips.

"I _want_ you to stop trying to steal my boyfriend," Santana hissed.

Something didn't sound right about her voice, and Rachel feared that she'd been drinking. She'd had bad experiences with drunks in the past, and she'd rather _not_ relive any of them.

"You listen to me you Glee whore, Puck is _mine_. He will _always_ be _mine_. And if you don't stop going after him, I will make your life _hell on Earth._ Do you understand me?"

"First off," Rachel said, taking a deep breath, "You're drunk. Second, _Noah_ is his own person and can see who he wants when he wants. Obviously you saw his truck parked in _my_ driveway so you know he's here. With _me._ And third, Santana, you and the Cheerios already make my life hell on Earth, there's nothing you can do to me that hasn't already been done before."

Santana opened her mouth to speak, but Puck chose then to make his presence known.

"Leave me alone Santana," he said, coming up behind Rachel, "I'm through with you."

She narrowed her eyes as she watched him wrap his arms around the freak, "You're going to regret this. I'll make sure of it."

But Puck shook his head, "Not going to happen. Rachel's everything you're not," he moved Rachel behind him, removing his arms from her waist as he got in Santana's face; "You're going to leave her alone. Or every _Dirty Little Secret_ you've ever told me will come out in the open. Understand?"

Santana gaped at him and he shook his head.

"Get out of here," he told her, shutting the door in her face.

He turned back to Rachel, who was watching him. Her face an expressionless mask.

"You okay?" he asked.

Rachel didn't answer, just continued to study him carefully.

"Did you know that Tina, Mercedes and Quinn were here earlier? Before Finn came over."

Puck looked stunned, "I figured that Mercedes and Tina would want to talk to you, but Quinn was here? What did she say?" his sudden nerves made her smile.

"That you two spoke during lunch today," she stepped closer as she spoke, her arms going around his neck, "That your mind was wandering all day," her mouth was a breath away from his, "That you love me," she whispered just before their lips touched.

The warning bells in his head heightened their pitch and became air raid sirens as he wrapped his arms around her slight waist and lost himself in the kiss. Her words registered in his brain and he pulled himself away from her, looking down into her desire clouded eyes.

"She told you what?" he asked again, dumbfounded.

Rachel threw her head back and laughed.


	22. Fight Like A Girl

The weekend passed by, and Rachel hadn't seen Puck since Friday before his game. She'd wanted to go, but her fathers' had made plans and she'd forgotten about them. So she'd asked him to call her, and worried when he hadn't. Her worry, however, turned to hurt when he didn't answer any of her calls or texts.

She knew this would happen again. Just like the last time, everything had been ruined because of her. But she wouldn't let him know he'd broken her heart again. She wouldn't let him see her cry one more tear for him.

Monday morning came too quickly for her liking, much too quickly for her heart to have healed even one little fragment. She walked to school slowly, her entire body aching under the weight of the recent heartache. A song that she's not sure that she knew popped into her head.

_Little girl alone on the playground  
Tired of gettin' teased and gettin' pushed around  
Wishin' she was invisible  
To them  
_

She could see the school as she walked closer and closer, the lyrics of the new-ish country song loud in her head, and her breathing became labored slightly.

_  
She ran home cryin'  
"Why do they hate me?"  
And Mama wiped the tears and said  
"Baby, you're brave and you're beautiful.  
So, hold your head high.  
Don't ever let 'em define  
The light in your eyes.  
Love yourself, give them Hell.  
You can take on this world.  
You just stand and be strong  
And then fight  
Like a girl."_

She didn't know what it was about the song that stuck in her head so quickly. She'd heard it on the radio a few weeks beforehand, and; in trying to improve her vast repertoire of musical capabilities, quickly downloaded both the song and the lyrics.

_At 31 she was wheelin' and dealin'  
Kept on hittin' that same glass ceilin'  
She was never gonna one of the boys, no  
She coulda gave up on her ambition  
And spent the rest of her life just wishin'  
Instead she listened to her mama's voice sayin'_

She was getting nearer to the school; and saw a group of students milling around the parking lot. She stiffened slightly when she saw that they wore letterman jackets. She had to pause for a minute and take a deep, steadying breath. She could do this.

_  
"Hold your head high.  
Don't ever let 'em define  
The light in your eyes.  
Love yourself, give them Hell.  
You can take on this world.  
You just stand and be strong  
And then fight  
Like a girl."_

_Oh, with style and grace  
Kick ass and take names._

The short bridge made her smile, thinking of her future. Steadier now, she quickly walked through the parking lot, ignoring the eyes she felt on her. She pulled open the ominous double doors, and briefly wondered whether she was walking into the lion's den; or if she was about to receive a momentary respite from the pain of her weekend.

_Ten years of climbin' that ladder  
Oh, but money and power don't matter  
When the doctor said "the cancer spread"  
She holds on tight to her husband and babies  
And says "this is just another test God gave me.  
And I know just how to handle this"  
_

Rachel went through her classes on autopilot. But unlike others she swore she would not think of, she was an actress; and therefore better at hiding her emotions. Before she knew it, the final bell rang. She'd been successful in avoiding everyone, especially _him_, all day; but now it was time, so to speak; to face the music.

_  
I'll hold my head high  
I'll never let this define  
The light in my eyes  
Love myself, give it Hell  
I'll take on this world  
If I stand and be strong  
No, I'll never give up  
I will conquer with love  
And I'll fight like  
Like a girl_

_Ooh_

And so she would, she thought as she shook her long hair back. Rachel Jennifer Barry would hold her head high. She would stand tall, and she would stay strong. And she'd show them all what it meant to fight like a girl.

Taking a deep breath, she pulled open the auditorium door, and joined the rest of her team for practice.

(Song is "Fight Like A Girl" by Bomshel)


	23. Forgiveness

Mr. Schue asked her to stay after practice; she frowned but acquiesced and waited in her seat as everyone else gathered their things and left the auditorium. _He_ hadn't been at practice today, for which she was grateful; though she'd felt a twinge in her heart. Mercedes, Tina and even Quinn had tried to talk to her during rehearsal, but she'd just shaken her head and said she didn't want to talk about it. When the final student left, Rachel looked up at Mr. Schue.

"Why did you ask me to stay?" she asked quietly.

Mr. Schue let out a sigh and sat backwards in a chair across from Rachel, crossing his arms over the back.

"What's going on Rachel?" he asked her.

"I don't know what you mean," Rachel replied, looking away from him.

"Yes you do. Rachel," he waited until she looked at him again, "Yes you do."

Her gaze wavered, but she kept looking at Mr. Schue.

"I guess I'm just tired," she finally answered, looking down, "I'm sorry Mr. Schue, I'll do better tomorrow. But I really don't want to talk about this. Can I go now?"

His eyes watched her for another few minutes before he slowly nodded. Rachel gathered up her things and walked out of the auditorium. After a brief stop at her locker, she quickly left the school; and the horrible day behind.

**

Noah Puckerman is not a nervous person. But standing alone, in Rachel's living room; after explaining what had happened to her fathers and how he was going to apologize, he was slightly terrified. He heard the front door open and straightened, wiping his damp palms on the thighs of his jeans.

"Daddy? Dad?" he heard Rachel call out.

She stopped in the doorway to the living room when she saw him standing there. Slowly, her eyes took in the bouquet of lilies, her favorite, on the coffee table and the room around them. Her eyes widened when she finally realized that neither of her fathers were there with them.

"What are you doing?" she whispered.

He fought back a grin, "Apologizing."

Rachel's eyes snapped to his face, watching him as he bent and picked up the lilies off the coffee table before walking towards her. She didn't move, though there was a small part of her screaming at her to run, and run fast! She smashed it down as he stopped about a foot away from her and her eyes traveled from his face to the flowers he held out to her. She took them gently, a mischievous smile coming across her face.

"Who are you and what have you done with Noah Puckerman?" she teasingly asked him.

He let out a chuckle, but it died quickly when he registered the pain that she'd hidden from the world as he looked into her eyes. He reached out and placed his large palms against her hips, pulling her against him carefully and resting his forehead against hers.

"You know I suck with words," he said quietly, "So I'm pretty sure I can only say this one time," Rachel nodded, not speaking and he took a breath; "When me and Quinn were talking last week, she told me that I needed to tell you I'm in love with you," Rachel's heart swelled, "I didn't—I don't, want to scare you though," he reached a hand up and tucked her hair behind her ear; his fingers trailing along her cheek, "When you told me what she said to you, I freaked out. I thought maybe I could figure stuff out over the weekend. But not being around you? Not talking to you? Not working out too well for me. I'm sorry Rach, I—"

Rachel leaned up and pressed her lips to his, effectively cutting him off. He held her closely, being careful of the flowers in her hand as he pulled her tightly to him. When the need for air became imminent, he pulled back and rested his forehead against hers again; clenching his jaw slightly to get himself under control.

"So am I forgiven?" he asked her a few minutes passed.

Rachel giggled and pulled away, "Not yet," she teased, walking backwards into the kitchen.

A grin slowly crossed Puck's face and he followed her into the other room.


	24. Delayed Reaction

Two months later, Rachel and Puck stood in the hallway talking quietly when Finn came up out of nowhere and punched Puck square in the jaw, knocking him back into the lockers.

"Finn!" Rachel cried, moving to Puck's side.

In a blind rage, Finn grabbed Rachel by the arm and practically threw her across the hall before punching Puck again. Mike and Matt came running down the hall and tried to pull Finn off of Puck, who wasn't fighting back or trying to defend himself in any way, but he shook them off and kept hitting the other boy. Rachel grabbed his arm, trying to catch his attention.

"Finn! Stop! You're going to kill him!" she cried, trying to pull him back.

Finn tried to shake her off, and felt his hand connect with flesh before hearing Rachel, along with what seemed like half of the student body, gasp in shock. Seeing Finn hit Rachel shocked Puck into action and he growled, moving up and tackling the quarterback to the ground and holding him down.

"Hey!" Puck shouted, finally pulling Finn from his rage, "Knock it off," he growled out, staring down at Finn.

He waited until Finn stopped struggling, then got up and went over to Rachel, one arm protecting his aching ribs as his hand came up to her cheek.

"You okay?" he whispered.

Rachel slowly nodded, catching Puck's wrist in her hand as he turned around.

"Noah? Let's just go," she asked him softly.

Puck moved and wrapped his arm around her shoulders, dropping a kiss onto her forehead before leading her down the hallway and out of the building. They heard the murmurs of the student body behind them, but both ignored everyone; even the questioning glances from the rest of New Directions.

When they reached Puck's truck in the parking lot, he stopped and turned Rachel around gently, grasping her chin in his hand to look carefully at her face. Her cheek was red from where Finn had accidentally hit her and she winced when he trailed his fingertips over the mark. Closing his eyes, he sucked in a heavy breath and growled low in his throat.

"I should go back and kick his ass."

Rachel grabbed his hand in both of hers and held it against her good cheek, eyes never leaving his face.

"Noah, I'm okay. It was an accident," she said quietly.

He pulled his hand from hers and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close to his body and Rachel sighed; her arms going around his waist. Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath and let his scent wash over her.

"Why did he come after you?" she asked quietly.

Rachel felt Puck shrug and his voice reverberated against the crown of her head; "I don't know. Delayed reaction from something I did that pissed him off?"

Frowning, Rachel pulled back slightly to look up at her boyfriend.

"Noah, unless there's something you haven't told me; the only thing you've done to piss him off lately happened almost six months ago."

"Yeah, but I know Finn. He'll say he's fine and for a while he'll bottle it up; until it comes spilling out of him like a volcanic eruption."

"So, you think this might be about Quinn then?" Rachel asked.

"Or you."

Rachel gaped at him, "ME?!"


End file.
